A local community group in Stranraer is calling for your vote to secure £50,000 of National Lottery funding as part of this year’s People’s Projects. STRANRAER OYSTER FESTIVAL is one of five groups in the borders in the running for a share of up to £150,000 of funding.

The FESTIVAL is a three-day event celebrating the only wild and native Oyster beds in the UK. We are delighted to welcome this opportunity to attract additional funding to promote the areas unique coastal heritage, its culture, its people and its local produce.

Now in its 13th year, the Big Lottery Fund, STV and The National Lottery are teaming up to give the public a chance to decide how National Lottery funding should be put to good use in their own local area.

Designed to celebrate some of the incredible projects the Big Lottery Fund has supported over the past year, 95 community-based schemes are now shortlisted across the UK.

In each region, the three projects with the most public votes will receive grants of up to £50,000. This will help them to continue their work and to improve the quality of life for many within their communities. The entire amount up for grabs across the UK is a life-changing £3 million.

VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY 16TH APRIL AND LASTS UNTIL MONDAY 30TH APRIL.

On Thursday the 19th of April 2018 at 6pm The Stranraer Development Trust will be showcasing its project The STRANRAER OYSTER FESTIVAL on STV Border News. To be in with a chance of winning, Stranraer Development Trust, organisers of the FESTIVAL, is calling on viewers, and indeed the entire community to support its bid. They can do this from 9AM ON MONDAY 16TH APRIL in a number of ways:

-- ON LINE- by going directly to www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk where they can watch our video and follow the link to register their vote there.

-- BY POSTAL VOTE. Postcards will be available in local shops, hotels, cafes and B & B's. Filling in the postal vote couldn't be easier and, as it's Freepost, it won't even require a stamp!

--DIRECT CONTACT WITH AN OYSTER FESTIVAL REPRESENTITIVE- who will be in the town centre between 16th- and 30th of April. Please look out for our volunteers in blue t-shirts.

Last year’s event was a huge success with over 10,000 people attending the three-day event. This year, the interest already from stall holders and performers and visitors has been overwhelming and The Trust have plans to make this year’s event even better again. An economic impact report estimates that the Festival helped secure 5 local jobs in tourism, ploughed over £511,000 into the local economy where there wasn't a bed available within a 24-mile radius on the weekend of the event.

If successful, The Stranraer Development Trust will:

Facilitate the running of STRANRAER OYSTER FESTIVAL 2018 with events throughout the weekend for all to enjoy and benefit from, raise awareness of the unique heritage of our region, provide volunteering opportunities for people of all ages in our area and ensure opportunities for local businesses to promote their produce and services.

Romano Petrucci, Chairman, for The Stranraer Development Trust, said: " We are very fortunate to find ourselves in this position. A lot of work has gone into us being short listed for this incredible funding opportunity. The Board realise that and, given the quite amazing level of support they have been given locally with anything and everything they do, are very confident that the local community will make that small but critically important effort to make sure they cast their vote. Being through to this final stage is all good news, but the truth is that if the local community do not take this chance to vote and show their support, we will not get this funding boost to the Festival. We all know how wonderful the inaugural event was- with your vote and support we give you our assurance that this year will be bigger and better still.

Joe Ferns, UK Funding Director of the Big Lottery Fund, said: “As the largest funder of community activity in the UK, we are proud to support grassroots groups that are using the vision, determination and drive of local people to strengthen communities. The People’s Projects showcases the best of these and is a chance for you to have your say on how National Lottery funding can benefit your local community.”

Since 2005, around £39 million has been awarded through the Big Lottery Fund, National Lottery and ITV/STV partnership to 865 Good Causes across the UK.

Voting closes at midday on Monday 30 April 2018. People can vote once per region and will need an email address to vote on line, otherwise you can vote via postcard. To support the Stranraer Oyster Festival and for Terms and conditions please visit www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk